Synopses & Reviews
Thoroughly revised and updated—the go-to book for OCD sufferers who want to master their fears and take charge of their lives
The first comprehensive guide to treating obsessive compulsive disorder based on clinically proven behavioral therapy techniques, Dr. Lee Baer’s Getting Control has been providing OCD sufferers with information and relief for more than twenty years. In the same easy-to-understand format as the original, this updated edition includes:
• Cutting-edge behavioral therapy techniques
• Breakthrough advances in neuroscience
• Brand new material on hoarding
• Expanded sections on how families can help OCD sufferers
• The latest diagnostic standards as outlined by the American Psychiatric Association
• A completely revised list of resources
OCD sufferers and their loved ones will find everything they need to assess their symptoms, set realistic goals, and create specific therapeutic exercises for managing this disorder.
Synopsis
From the latest treatments to important facts on medications currently available, "Getting Control" is a thorough, concise and positive lifesaver for anyone suffering from obsessions or compulsions.
Synopsis
Six million Americans suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and they know firsthand the often devastating effects it has on their lives. Some symptoms, such as the nagging feeling you have left the stovetop burner on, can be mildly distracting. Yet others, like compulsive hand washing, the inability to throw anything out, or nerve-racking feelings of guilt, can be completely paralyzing and make it nearly impossible for sufferers to lead healthy lives. Dr. Lee Baer gives readers the tools to assess their own symptoms, set goals, and create therapeutic programs for themselves. He also helps readers differentiate between OCD and other psychological illnesses such as depression. From the latest treatments to important facts on the medications currently available and how they work, Getting Control is thorough, concise, and positive--a lifesaver for anyone whose well-being is affected by OCD.
About the Author
Lee Baer, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of OCD and related disorders. Author of Getting Control: Overcoming Your Obsessions and Compulsions, Baer is an associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and the director of research of the OCD unit at Massachusetts General Hospital as well as of the OCD Institute at McLean Hospital.
Table of Contents
Getting Control Foreword
Preface
Preface to the Revised Edition
Chapter One: What Is OCD?
What is OCD? How Common Is OCD?
What Causes OCD?
What Are the Subtypes of OCD?
What Problems Are Confused with OCD?
What Disorders May Be Related to OCD?
Chapter 2: Treatment of OCD
Behavior Therapy for OCD
Medication Treatment for OCD
Other Treatments for OCD
Principles of Behavior Therapy
Chapter 3: Test Yourself
Assessing the Type of Your OCD Symptoms
Measuring the Severity of Your OCD
Assessing the Strength of Your Belief in Your Obsessions or Compulsions
Assessing Avoidance Due to OCD
Assessing Depression
Interpreting the Results
Chapter 4: Setting Your Goals
Basic Principles of Setting Long-Term Goals
Basic Principles of Setting Practice Goals
Chapter 5: How to Use Behavior Therapy to Get Control of Your Symptoms
Techniques to Assist Exposure and Response Prevention
Tailoring Behavior Therapy to Your OCD Symptoms
Chapter 6: Staying in Control
Long-Term Results of Behavior Therapy
Getting the Odds in Your Favor
Chapter 7: Getting Control of Problems Related to OCD
Trichotillomania
Skin Picking
Tourette Disorder
Excessive Bodily Worries
Chapter 8: Medications for OCD
SRI Medications
Clomipramine
Fluoxetine
Fluvoxamine
Sertraline
Paroxetine
Citalopram
MAOIs
What Other Medications Can Help OCD?
Common Questions About Medications for OCD
Combining Medication with Behavior Therapy
Chapter 9: Your Questions Answered
Chapter 10: For Family, Friends, and Helpers
Dealing with Family Members or Friends Who Have OCD
Dealing with Family Members or Friends Who Won't Get Help for Their OCD
If You Asked to be a Helper
Bibliography
Appendix: Self-Rating Forms
Index